First Concert

[Woodmiester]

First Concert was The Eagles greatest hits tour in 1975

Band I'd like to see now remains The Eagles, missed a chance to see their Hell Freezes Over tour but hope they do another one, they just keep sounding better and better.

 

[InternationalFunboy]

My first concert ever was Peter Paul and Mary. It was in houston and I was an infant sitting in the thrid row sucking on the teet while they played puff the magic dragon
Excluding festivals and such my next show was the Beach Boys in Audubon Park in New Orleans...I was maybe 13

I moved into highschool and saw Metallica (no opener it was the black album tour), and Guns N Roses and Soundgarden.
I actually saw Steppenwolf in a shitty club in cleveland MS while in college. While there I got spoiled by local bands and small cubs and since then have only seen one arena show which was Rob Zombie and Korn. I've easily seen a hundred shows here in New Orleans since I moved here...

My Best show of all time was a huge bill that played at the Varsity Theatre in Baton Rouge. KottonMouth Kings, Sprung Monkey, 2 Skinnee J's, and The Urge. It was 12 bucks and just amazing......probably tied with this show for best ever was the Genitorturers here at the Shim Shan Club. That show definitely raised the bar for shows I've seen.

I liked Drain and Static-X adn Dope too alot......Ween was an incredible show.......

Here I am contemplating going to a show tonight.....a local band called TABU. Too bad I don't have a teet to suck on while I groove...

 

[miles]

The Allman Brothers Band at Georgia Southern U....either '70 or '71. This was THE original group with Duane Allman and Berry Oakley before they died and starting playing boom-chickee, boom-chickee country shit. The best band I've ever seen, and the only one that needed two drummers. They played for 3 or four hours.
The opening act: J. Geils Band!

 

[perks]

1st concert -skidrow... no idea who opened for them, I wasn't paying attention


I think I'm more mortified about that than the petra chick

 

[lovetoread]

It was a Huey Lewis and the News concert in Atlanta.

I thought I was Miss Cool,baby.

Okay so I was 11 and all grown up.

 

[miles]

perky_baby

Do you mean the petra chick with the thermonuclear tatas?

 

[Purple Haze]

I didn't really want to go, but a friend of mine bought three tickets and asked me and another guy to go. I had heard of Kiss and saw them on the Midnight Special one night and thought they were kind of strange looking. In fact, my older sister had the Destroyer album and I liked it. I didn't like too many of my sister's records, but this one rocked. So I went. I live in a small city in the Midwest, and wasn't really exposed to anything more exciting than the Carpenters, or safe shit like that. Actually, our little Civic Center had little idea what was to be unleashed. Had they known, they wouldn't have allowed it.

This was the first concert I had been to that had what they call festival seating, meaning no chairs on the floor of the arena. Just a mass of bodies, and it became full quickly, I think Kiss had a number-one hit on the radio at the time and this show was sold out.

Frisbees were everywhere. The mood was jubilant and expectant. "Dictator" opened up, and were treated warmly throughout. Now, you have to realize that when you walked into the arena and got a good look at this gargantuan stage that came out halfway across the floor from one end of the building, you knew this was going to be big. You could see the drums underneath that tarp. You could see the Marshalls stacked tall and wide. You could see those stairways. You could see the unlit carnival ride sign up and behind it all. The opening band had a lot of room to move, but they still used only a fraction of the stage. You could see all of it before the lights went down, but even with the buzz and rumours that flowed for weeks, you were not fully prepared for what you were about to see.

The opening act said thank you and the house lights came on. A small roar erupted when the arena-sized pot cloud became visible. After some movement and mingling, we went way, way up into the rafters looking down the right side of the stage, and found our spot. And then the lights went out.

A small roar erupted and grew, we watched the stage. The roar kept growing as bic lighters as far as you could see, multiplied by hundreds. The roar became deafening, The mass was chanting and pounding KISS, KISS, KISS......and this arena was going to come down, and when they appeared not on the stage as expected, but way up in the rafters in front of the carnival sign, a THUNDEROUS roar of the crowd erupted, and I wondered if we would drown out the band. I didn't wonder long.

God, this was LOUD. I had never heard anything so loud. Cannons, bombs, guitars, big fuckin' flames that licked the rafters, four guys with child-like energy ripped into Detroit Rock City, and nobody sat down for a long time. Each song seemed to get louder than the last. The drummer pounded away with enthusiasm, the space-guy rocked back and forth with a clumsy grace, the rock star slammed out chords behind his back, between his legs, above his chest, behind his head, while jumping impossibly high in those ridiculously tall shoes.

What the hell was that thing on the bass? There was something seriously wrong with him. I could not imagine anything human underneath that costume. That guy was weird, really fucking weird, whatever it was. Some kind of strange perversion flowed from this one. The other three were bizarre in their own way, but you could almost tell they were real people behind the make-up. This bass player was not a real person.

This band was unreal. Throughout the show these huge unmerciful flames kept baking the crowd, I swear, I could feel the heat way, way up in the rafters. We wouldn't let them quit, and they almost dropped dead with exhaustion during their fourth and final encore. I knew I would see them again.

 

[perks]

Re: perky_baby

Do you mean the petra chick with the thermonuclear tatas?

that would be the one

 

[Massive Grooves]

Damn, a Purple Haze story. Nice.

Purple Haze posts I enjoy.

I saw Skid Row open for Guns N' Roses for my next show. That was a good show too. I believe the count was incredible as far as Sebastian Bach saying "fuck" during the 45 minute set. Is he the one that keeps the fuck thread going?

 

[Calamity Jane]

My first concert was the J Giles Band when I was 10 (?). It was the year Centerfold came out.

My favorite concert is probably Elton John. I saw him a few years ago, and he amazes me.

 

[Dillinger]

Haze's story reminds me of another early concert. I went down to NYC to see Mahavishnu Orchestra (John McLaughlin, Billy Cobham, Jan Hammer, Jerry Goodman, Rick Laird)... this was in Avery Fisher Hall - next to Julliard. (The opening act was Alphonse Mousin - for anyone who might remember - Alphonse was a drummer...)

For those of you who don't know - Mahavishnu was a fusion band. McLaughlin made his name in jazz... jazz/fusion - played on a couple albums with Miles Davis.

And Avery Fisher hall is just a marvel of acoustics - built to highlight and project the nuances of classical music performances. (The one other "out of place' performance I saw there was PDQ Bach).

So... they walk out on stage and take their places. McLaughlin comes out dressed all in white... stands center stage... and asks for a moment of silence before they start playing. He actually got it - not a sound in the place (he and Santana were very influenced by Sri Chinmoy at that time - they even did an album together)....

So.. not a sound in the place... we're all at the edge of our seats.. Cobham raises a mallet at the end of that minute... swings it in a huge arc and STRIKES THE GONG behind him... the sound was a force of nature... so LOUD so POWERFUL that the sound waves actually knocked us back in our seats...

The following 2 hours were, to this day, one of the most incredible displays of musicianship I've ever seen.

It was also the LOUDEST concert I've ever seen in my life. My hearing was diminshed for the next couple days. Perhaps it was the sensitive acoustics of the hall. I've seen quite a lot of bands - rock, heavy metal, new wave, punk - everything and everyone but never heard anything louder. I mention the loudness because it seems odd that of all the bands I've heard that this jazz/fusion group would take that particular "prize."

But mostly - the musicianship. Electrifying!

 

[patient1]

Sorry. Server cut in & out as I hit "submit"

 

[patient1]

J.Geils Band. "Freeze Frame Tour" (the year centerfold came out)They were a lot of fun. I might have been the only one there that new the old stuff.
Jon Butcher Axis was the Hendrix wannabe power trio that opened for them.


Lucciano Pavoratti was probably the most impressive concert, cosidering the guy doesn't need an amplifier, but there's no such thing as cheap seats in a Pavorotti concert.

 

[Jellybeangirl]

Madonna- her Like a Prayer tour.
Salt & Pepper opened up for her. It was pretty cool

 

[fgarvb1]

Pink floyd...animals 1977? my ears are still ringing!

 

[Hamletmaschine]

Alice Cooper
Iggy and the Stooges
Grand Funk Railroad
Traffic
and probably a couple other bands I'm forgetting.

One of them big early '70s festival gigs.

Iggy smashed a jar of peanut butter on the stage and rolled around in it, cutting himself to pieces, then dived into the crowd.

It made an impression on my pubescent mind.

 

[tigerjen]

My first concert........seeing the Beach Boys in concert w/
my sis and parents when I was way younger.......that was
in Bridgeport at Kennedy Stadium (Central H.S.) during
the late summer....

Saw Whitney Houston in '87 at New Haven Coliseum.....
again w/ the 'rents and sis.....had really good seats too...
that was back then when she looked real healthy, and
sweet, and not the mess she is now.....

Neil Diamond in '92 at Madison Square Garden in NYC...
really good show......again w/ the 'rents and sis......

Then finally......

Sarah McLachlan in March '98 at Oakdale in Wallingford, CT
then Lilith Fair July '98 up at The Meadows in Hartford,
CT.....both really good shows.........both times I went with
my friend Colleen...and at Lilith we were joined w/ one
of Colleen's friends from college, Courtney.

Oh yeah....I forgot....saw Bob Dylan perform during
homecoming weekend at Ithaca College when I was
a sophomore there.......cool show......really jam packed
(that was back in '94)!



tigerjen

 

[Chantal Marchon]

First concert I saw was The Damned in St. Petersburg Fl at something Landings--

that was almost 13 years ago.

The first concert I really wanted to go to was Duran Duran when I was 13 or 14- my mom wouldn't let me and that was the last time the were in this state- I am still disappointed about that. Oh, and I missed Godsmack this summer- which is depressing. Only if I were younger with more expendable income.

 

[PAPAGORGIO]

First concert was Oingo Boingo with
Wal Of Voodoo opening. Last concert was Nirvana with the Breeders and Shonen Knife opening.

 

[ExLimey]

1st = Steve Miller Band at Pacific Amphlitheater in early 1990s. I think Curtis Saldago opened (not that I cared)

Saw him again in Soo, Michigan two years ago.

Others have been Blue Oyster Cult who left me wanting more. They opened for Steppenwolf and were only on for 45 mins. We left after that, weren't interested in SW at all.

George Thorogood was the best. "Sky is Crying" defied words. Although I did suffer hearing loss for several days. It was so loud at one point it affected my balance!

 

[april-wine]

1st concert ever........Culture Club.......Maple Leaf Gardens
2nd.....Dwight Yoakum....Centennial Hall
3rd......Melissa Etheridge....Centennial Hall
4th......Kiss.....Detroit Tigers Stadium
5th......Dixie Chicks.....Air Canada Centre
6th......Matchbox20......Air Canada Centre

 

[medjay]

I guess I'm a young buck but my first concert was De La Soul in 1989. The still give the best live show in Hip Hop. Seen 'em six times since.

My favorite concert was Cibo Matto last year. Who would have ever thought two little Japanese women could deliver such a stellar performance. Any fans of alternative music should check them out.

 

[PrincessSalome]

My first concert was Paul Simon: Rhythm of the Saints. There was no opening act because he had the huge South African band with him and they'd do solos whenever he needed a break. There were some older people there (waiting to hear Sound of Silence, which I admit is a good song, but. . .) who got mad because we were standing up and dancing, so we went over to an empty block of seats on the very side. We must not have been the only ones with that problem, because other dancers followed us in droves. After a while, Paul was standing sideways on the stage, singing to us. It was great.

I have to say however that my favorite concert was Tori Amos: Under the Pink. It was in a small concert hall and I sat in the 3rd row. I was a huge fan (still love her older stuff, but have been a little let down recently) and brought a boquet of roses. I went up and put them on the stage during Past the Mission (fans will understand: the chorus has a line about roses). At the end of the concert, we went around back and waited by her limousine. Her manager kept telling her to get in, but she was so cool. I asked her if she got the flowers (a stagehand picked them up). She said "Thanks Sweetheart" and SHE HUGGED ME!

 

[Lady_Sam]

First concert, My mom and one of her boyfriends took me to mountain air to see Quarterflash, Loverboy and Foreigner. I was 12 I think.

Last concert I saw was Lolapalooza 96 Metallica, Ramones....was amazing to see the Ramones live.

One of the best concerts I saw was Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pearl Jam and Nirvana. The last two were opening bands.

And my still favorite band to see tour is Depeche Mode even though I've missed the last two or three concerts.

 

[Gatorboy]

My first concert was Huey Lewis and the News the Fore tour. The Robert Cray band opened for them. My last big concert that I went to was the superbowl of country music. Now I love country, but after six straight hours it was a bit much.